The Last Dance
by Julie Horwitz
Summary: A retelling of the final moments of the episode Tango de los Pistoleros.


** Disclaimer:  ** The following story is a work of fanfiction. The characters and situations are from the television show "The Lone Gunmen" which is copyrighted to Ten-Thirteen Productions. This story is based on the final scenes of the episode "Tango de los Pistoleros" which was written by Thomas Schnauz and directed by Bryan Spicer. This is my interpretation.  
All comments and questions are welcome and may be sent to:  
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the story!

** _ The Last Dance _**   
by  
Julie Horwitz

In my line of work, people get hurt all the time. Sometimes they even die. Occasionally, it is by my own hand. But this was the first time someone had died for me.

Why had he done it? Santavos was a criminal, a smuggler who had his henchman kill people whenever they displeased him. Yet, when he saw that I was in danger, he had whirled me out of the way and took a knife in the back. A knife meant for me. I hadn't even seen it coming. He could have just as easily held me in place and let Cuchillo take me out for my betrayal. Could he have truly loved me?

I knew he had feelings for me. He had even expressed them this afternoon, before Langly and Jimmy blew my cover. It was not something I had expected from a hardened criminal. Physical attraction, yes, but not an emotional one. And, I had begun to feel something for him too...

Maybe that's why it hurt so much to see the look on his face when he realized that I had indeed betrayed him. I'll never forget the utter sadness in his eyes. He knew that our time together had been nothing but an elaborate ruse. Did he believe that my attraction to him was fake as well? But, even then, he continued to dance with me. We remained dancing until the very end, when he died in my arms.

I know it was foolish of me to have let my guard down with him. It's common sense to keep an emotional distance from one's target. But there was something about him that made all common sense fade from my mind. Something that made me feel safe around him despite the fact that I was in constant danger just by being in his home. A danger that Cuchillo continuously reminded me of. Yet, it did not bother me as it should have because of the way he made me feel.

Santavos was the first person in a long time who had understood me. He knew the loneliness and isolation I felt, felt it as I did. The tango was the physical manifestation of our emotions. It brought us closer together, uniting us in our private sadness. When we were dancing, I no longer felt so alone.

((((())))))

We were finished discussing what had happened with the police and were congratulating "El Lobo" on his performance when we all noticed Yves sitting all alone. I don't think any of us had ever seen her look so sad. I know I hadn't. She was usually either amused, disgusted, or completely mad at us. It was strange seeing her look so vulnerable, so human.

"Uh, how's she holding up?" Frohike asked us.

"She's fine," Kimmy said impatiently. All he wanted was the money.

I was really relieved to learn there wasn't any reward money. I didn't like him and wished Langly had found some other "hacker extraordinaire" or whatever he called himself to help us. He didn't deserve to be paid for his services. He was a real jerk.

"What did she do it for then?" he inquired. Apparently he couldn't understand that there was more to life than money.

"Because it was the right thing to do," I told him. I knew Yves wasn't as bad as the others thought she was. She was a good person. A really moody person, but a good one.

"I suppose I should thank her for not wigging out and killing me for real," Langly said.

"Later," I told him as I grabbed him by the shoulder. Yves didn't seem like she would be receptive to anyone right now, especially Langly. He had done enough for her for one night. She probably would kill him for real if he went over and annoyed her. Like I said, she's really moody!

The others, deciding there was nothing more to be done here, walked away. I remained where I was, just watching her sit at the empty table. I felt really sorry for her. I don't think the guys noticed, but she had had a thing for the bad guy.

It was pretty obvious just by looking at them together. I had first noticed it when me and Langly were spying on them at his house. He was convinced she was faking, but I knew she wasn't. That's why I had told her that I didn't want to see her get hurt. Because she liked him. And, she had gotten hurt after all.

I decided I had to do something to cheer her up. It was the least I could do. After all, it was our fault that she had met him. (I knew it was wrong to double-cross her like we did. I had told them that it was and I was right.)

I tried to think of something that would take her mind off of Santavos. What really made her happy? It would have helped to know more about her.

Then it hit me. I had noticed that when she danced, her mind seemed focused on nothing else. So, I'd get her to dance with me. Or, at least I'd try to get her to dance with me.

As if on cue, the music from the competition began to play.

I started walking towards her.

((((())))))

I was brought out of my private reverie by the sound of approaching footsteps. I was in no mood to be bothered. If it was one of those morons coming to gloat about getting their story, I would kill him. All I wanted was to be left alone.

I looked up. To my surprise, it was Jimmy. He was the last person I was expecting to see. He was a sweet but bumbling idiot. He usually meant well, but didn't have the necessary interpersonal skills to get his point across easily.

At least he wouldn't talk about getting the story. He wasn't the type. He probably just wanted to see if I was okay. I wasn't, but I would tell him I was just to get him to go away.

Amazingly, he did not say a single word. Instead, he just stretched out his hand.

It took me a few moments to realize what he wanted. He was inviting me to dance! Clumsy Jimmy was asking me to dance one of the most complex dances in the world with him! If I had been myself, I would have laughed in his face. But, thinking about it, I realized trying to avoid having my feet stepped on would take my mind off of things for a little while.

Wordlessly, I smiled and took his hand. He pulled me out of my seat and led me to the dance floor.

He grinned sheepishly as he admitted, "I, uh, don't know the tango. Would you mind showing me?"

"Well, I'll try. How much ballroom dancing experience have you had?"

"None," he told me. "I've always been more of an athlete than a dancer."

"I should have known that," I grinned back. "You do fit the stereotypical description of a jock."

If he got my slight barb, he gave no indication. "Okay," he said, "what do I do first?"

"First, we assume the dancer's pose," I said. I took his right hand and guided it to the small of my back. My left went onto his forearm. Then my right hand grasped his left and stretched it out into the correct position. Then, slowly, we began to move.

((((())))))

Yves led me through a few simple steps. I had some trouble getting it, but she didn't seem to mind.

"You're doing fine," she told me. "You a very good dancer."

I knew she was just being nice, but I was glad my idea had worked. She was smiling as she tried to help me tango. It was good to see her looking happy again.

She led herself into a half turn and pressed up against me for a moment. I had never been so close to her. It was a wondrous moment.

Slowly, she turned around and relaxed her arms. She fell against me in the usual slow dance position I had seen in dozens of television shows and movies. We continued dancing in the simple two step pattern.

I thought about joking about my bad dancing wearing her out, but I decided not to when I heard her softly crying. She was still hurting terribly. I continued to dance with her in silence. It would be good for her to let her feelings out.

((((())))))

I just couldn't hold the tears back anymore. I had let myself get too attached and now I was paying the price. The feeling of loss was overwhelming. Jimmy's gesture had just prolonged them.

Normally, I'd wait until I was in private. I had always believed that a public display of emotions was a sign of weakness. I had never let anyone see me cry before. And who would have thought it would be Jimmy of all people?

Jimmy was being so kind, so understanding. I knew he'd probably never look at me the same way again, but right now I didn't care. The wall I normally kept between myself and everyone else had been shattered just by letting myself get too involved with my target. Now, I was crying on the shoulder of a man I hardly knew.

No, I was wrong. I knew Jimmy. Of all the Lone Gunmen, he was the easiest to know. He wore his heart on his sleeve like a badge. He believed that everyone was good and honest. He was deluded, of course, but he wouldn't be Jimmy if he wasn't. I'd seen the worst side of humanity. Jimmy's idealism was refreshing.

((((())))))

The music finally came to an end and I felt Yves start to pull away. She slightly distanced herself from me as she regained her composure.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"No problem," I told her. "Feel better?"

She gave a laugh. "Yes. Yes, I think I do."

I smiled at her. "I knew it would work!"

Almost magically, she became her old self once again. She straightened her posture and folded her arms. "You knew what would work?"

I backed up from her. I felt bad. I had done something wrong and I didn't even know what it was. "Uh, you know, this. Dancing with you. I, uh, figured it would cheer you up."

Thankfully, she relaxed. For a moment, I thought she was going to kill me!

She smiled at me once again. "Then, I guess it did work. Again, thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd better get going now."

"Uh, okay," I told her. I was a bit disappointed that she wanted to go. I was enjoying our time together. "I guess I'll see you around then."

"I have no doubt of that," she said. "Good-bye, Jimmy."

"Bye, Yves."

She turned away from me, returned to her table, retrieved her purse, and began to leave. Before she got out of sight, she turned around and said, "If any word of this gets back to your friends, I will personally make sure you never try to help anyone dance again." With that, she turned away once again and disappeared from the ballroom.

"My lips are sealed," I promised.

It was time to find the guys. They were probably wondering where I was and were really mad about it...

((((())))))

As I walked out of the ballroom, leaving Jimmy behind with my hopefully dire warning, I thought about the past three days. I had learned a lot of things about myself. Things I thought I had left behind but I realized I still carried with me. I wasn't as hardened as I believed I had become. My heart was still capable of loving...

Knowing that, I wondered what the future held for me. Would I ever feel that way again about anyone?

Only time would tell.


End file.
